Numbers don't add up for would-be Worcester auditor

The search for a deputy city auditor has come up empty and the residency requirement for the job could be the root of the problem.

It has prompted some councilors to raise the idea of lifting the residency requirement, while others have called for more direct outreach efforts to certified public accountants living in the city.

“I can’t believe that in a city of 180,000 people we can’t find a deputy auditor,” Mayor Joseph M. Petty said.

City Auditor James A. DelSignore told the City Council Tuesday night he had one candidate who was most qualified for the job — 12 years of municipal experience and a certified public accountant — but she did not want to move into the city and ended up dropping out of consideration.

The person hired as deputy city auditor is supposed to become a Worcester resident within one year of the day of his/her employment.

Mr. DelSignore said he interviewed other candidates as well. For some, he said, it would have been a lateral career move to become deputy city auditor.

Others, meanwhile, showed a great desire to eventually become city auditor, but he did not feel there was a good chance any of them would eventually be selected for the job.

“I regret to inform you that I struck out on the search for a deputy auditor,” Mr. DelSignore told the council.

The deputy auditor’s position has been vacant for more than two years since Thomas J. Clawson took early retirement in 2010. It has a weekly salary range of $1,348 to $2,033, according to the city’s salary ordinance.

In December, the City Council appropriated $50,000 to fund the position for the second half of this fiscal year.

The fact there isn’t a number-two person in the Auditing Department led Mr. DelSignore to postpone his retirement plans for one year, at the request of the City Council.

The City Council Municipal Operations Committee had conducted a search last year to find a successor to Mr. DelSignore upon his planned retirement this past January, but the committee ended up abandoning that process in December and instead asked the auditor to stay on for another year.

The two finalists for the auditor’s job both lived outside the city and worked in the private sector, and neither had experience working for a municipality.

Upon abandoning the search process for a new auditor, the council moved to have the deputy auditor’s position filled as quickly as possible so that person would have time to work several months under Mr. DelSignore before he retires.

District 5 Councilor William J. Eddy suggested that the city reach out to certified public accountants who live in the city to see if anyone is interested in the job.

Through contact with the state Bureau of Registration, he said it has been determined that 139 certified public accountants live in the city.

The councilor suggested the city send letters about the deputy auditor opening to all those people.

“We’ve got to look at how we market this job,” Mr. Eddy said. “Rather than do a blanket search, maybe we need to go directly to these CPAs.”

Councilor-at-Large Michael J. Germain said while he has always supported a residency requirement, it may be time to re-evaluate that.

“I absolutely do not want to open up a can of worms tonight,” Mr. Germain said. “As someone who has always believed in (a residency requirement), maybe we have to start looking at the (requirement) and possibly changing it. At least it needs to be put on the table.”

Mr. DelSignore said the problem of filling municipal finance positions like deputy auditor is not solely a Worcester problem.

“It’s not as simple as you think,” he said. “It’s a nationwide problem; it’s tough everywhere.”